The American Rescue Plan (ARP) passed by Congress in March 2021 provides money to help homeowners impacted by the pandemic avoid foreclosure of their homestead. The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) is implementing the program in Texas and it is set to begin on Monday, February 21, 2022.
The program will pay the delinquent taxes for homeowners who qualify, Homeowners who have delinquent taxes can apply to the program and if they qualify, TDHCA will send a check for the delinquent amount to the homeowner’s tax office so that the homeowner avoids foreclosure. The payment is a grant and not a loan.
Basic qualifications include: have fallen behind on making your payments; own and occupy the property as your primary residence; household income is at or below 100% Area Median Income (AMI) and the household experienced a qualified financial hardship after January 21, 2020, such as lost income or increased expenses due to the pandemic. Hardships can be anything from having lost your job or having to pay more for child care, medical supplies, food, clothing, etc.
Orange County Tax Assessor-Collector Karen Fisher’s office has more information on the program. The program is being administered by the TDHCA. Interested homeowners can go on their special website http://www.TexasHomeownerAssistance.com or contact them on their toll-free number 833-651-3874 to get more information and to apply.
